Caerphily AM Jeff Cuthbert has called for more action from the UK Government to combat the growing rate of youth unemployment across Britain.
Last week, the number of 18 to 24 year-olds out of work reached its highest level since the early to mid 1990s.
Mr Cuthbert, who is the Welsh Government’s Deputy Minister for Skills, said: “Youth unemployment in the Caerphilly constituency increased by 56% between January and September of this year.
“This is a shameful indictment of the UK Government’s record, cutting spending too fast with little idea of how to get the economy growing again. It’s clear that they’re the same old Tories who see unemployment as a price worth paying.
“The Labour Welsh Government is taking concerted action to get people back into work, get the economy growing again and making sure our workforce has the skills that employers want.
“We have already announced the Welsh Jobs Fund that will create 4,000 jobs each year for young people and help them learn new skills. In addition, we are also committed to extending our Pathways to Apprenticeship programme, helping employers take on more apprentices who learn vital on-the-job skills as well as continuing with their education.”
erm… isn't Mr Cuthbert in government? Why doesn't HE do something about it, stop passing the buck.
Yes, hes in the Welsh Assembly Government, but hes a member of New Labour, which on a local and British national sold out the working class to the big financiers years ago.
Hes a member of the same party as Peter Mandelson, of the famous comment "that he had no problem with the filthy rich"? We can now see where such a blind policy has brought us No western government, including this last UK Labour government, has seriously addressed the wealth-gap that has grown wider over the past 20 or more years in developed market economies under globalisation.
This gap is now of almost obscene proportions and is becoming quite destructive of our social and economic structures and wellbeing. It must be dealt with as a matter of urgency. We hear many words on the issue but see no action. The Labour party are always short on action. My grandparents must be turning in their graves to see the level
that Jeff Cuthbert and his like have brought the Labour party.
Actions speak louder than words, the Plaid leadership of Caerffili council took best part of £500,000 to create 150 Trainee and Apprenticeships whilst Welsh Government delays any funding until April 2012, Wales and Caerffili need jobs now… http://www.flickr.com/photos/?plaidcymru/63775649…
Pointless inter-party bickering, you can't put a cigarette paper between Plaid and Labour policies, these days. There are very good people that I admire in both parties and, unfortunately, plenty more that thrive on self aggrandisement.
I found it very noticeable that Plaid, Labour, conservative and Uncle Tom Cobbly and all did not address the real jobs crisis in Wales at the Assembly election; the destruction of mining and manufacture.
It is about time that the various political groups started to put the voter first rather than out-dated ideology. I could not stand Tiny Blair, and left the Labour party because he became leader, but at least he had the guts to ditch clause 4 because the power players of the labour movement no longer believed in it; and to pretend to the party faithful that they did was no longer credible.
I agree with Cllr. Fussel that Caerffili needs jobs now but this is not a council function. Government policy is the key to promoting job creation and by this I do not mean adding to the endless total of public sector employees but creating the conditions where manufacturing and service industries can thrive.
I watched, helplessly, a few years back when the Plaid/Labour unholy alliance bent over backward to encourage an Italian paper tissue manufacturer to open in Baglan Bay as a direct competitor to the company I worked for which had provided well paid employment to Welsh people since 1951. I and many other lost their jobs; the newcomer employed many Eastern Europeans at lower wages. Wonderful if you believe in multiculturalism and the great European project, not so good for Welsh workers.
John Owen is right, there need to be wealth redistribution; wealth needs to be moved away from the, opportunistic, global companies, away from those who thrive on benefits with no intention of working, away from top public employees paid at unrealistic rates. Wealth needs be moved to the bedrock of Welsh communities, the factory worker, the auxiliary nurse, the shop assistant, the engineer and many others that spend a lifetime in work to make a modest living and add value to the Welsh economy and Welsh communities. I see no prospect of this happening with the modern political parties when Labour, unashamedly, cuddles with the super rich, the Tories abandon their creed of capitalism and patriotism and Plaid politicians revel in the new found possibility, after Wigley, of sitting in the House of Lords . Wales is headed, at full steam, for the buffers and the crash will be dreadful for our people.
I think Richard William`s experience in the Paper Industry shows the weakness in the EU policy of the free movement of Labour and Capital and how any British Government has lost control of its employment policy, if an area, such as Soutj Wales has a high rate of unemployment, the old policies of job creation cant, and wont work, since any jobs created are available to any citizen of an EU country, the odds are weighted against the local umemployed because these days recruitment agencies will and do, recruit cheap labour from anywhere in Europe
While Britain has a virtual open door policy on migration, nothing can be done to create jobs for the indigenous population.One of the justifications for the Olympics is that it would create jobs in the London Borough of Newham. When the jobs were advertised, Newham became Britain`s hot spot for NI registrations for immigrant workers, and the number on benefits locally barely cahanged. The problem with Britain is that on the one hand our hopeless education system has failed the young, and on the other the young do not want he unskilled jobs available and arent any good at them anyway. That is why a fifth of unskilled jobs are filled by foreign born workers